‘We will remember you forever’-Family pays tribute to knife crime victim Ricky Hayden.

‘You are the brightest star in the sky’.

Today, seven years ago, Ricky Hayden was laid to rest and his family said their last goodbyes. Ricky, like so many others across the country, was a victim of knife crime murdered outside his home in Marks Gate, east London.

Ricky had been a prominent member of his community. A man much loved and well respected by all who knew him and always ready to help others. His life was taken in one fatal blow when he received an machete wound to his thigh, that ultimately led to him losing so much blood that the family had to make the heartbreaking decision of turning his life support machine off.

Ricky had tackled thieves who had attempted to steal his brother’s moped, and in the attack, was severely injured.

Now, seven years on and his family feel his loss more than ever.

Mother Sue and daughter April, have dedicated their lives to fighting knife crime and installing life saving Daniel Baird bleed kits across the London and Essex communities. They have set up the Ricky Hayden Memorial in memory of their son and brother.

“They say time heals all wounds. It actually gets worse. Ricky has left a huge hole in our hearts that will never go away. He is my son, how can that pain of losing him go away? Mothers are not supposed to bury their children,” says Sue.

“Ricky was killed in 2016 and here we are in 2023 and more of our children have been stabbed. My son sadly is like all the others, just another statistic. Nothing has changed. Mothers are still burying their children.

“We feel his loss every minute of the day.

“Families of knife crime receive very little support. We still have not been offered any bereavement counselling seven years on from Ricky’s death. Nobody advises what to do after our children are murdered, how to handle the aftermath of the nightmare.”

Sue and April are well known as anti knife crime champions, seen across London with their placards asking for justice for all parents and an end to the ongoing horrors. They also donate Daniel Baird bleed kits that are proven life saving tools in our community.

“Today, seven years ago we laid Ricky to rest and we miss him more than ever. Ricky we know you are the brightest star in the sky.”

RIP Ricky Hayden-gone but never forgotten and always in our hearts.

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